Government
To protect Bexar County from the dangers of flash flooding, county commissioners voted to implement improvements and expansions of the county’s flood warning system Aug. 5. What’s changed Known as the Next Generation Flood Warning System, the new system will be implemented by the San Antonio River Authority, or SARA, and will help streamline stream and rain gauges for more detail in real time. According to county documents, SARA estimates that the upgrades and expansion of the predictive flood model, or PFM, in Bexar County is roughly $22 million and $11.82 million in the city of San Antonio. Bexar County invests in flood warning system
• Standardize all programmable and communica- tion equipment • Install manually closing low-water crossing barricade gates • Report to a single server, share data with partners • Single command center, shared access with partners • Implement and leverage PFM version 3.0 for more precise flooding locations and timing Long-term: • Leverage PFM 3.0 to identify future infrastructure needs • Automate low-water crossing barricade gates SARA said the upgrades and expansions are due to a variety of factors, such as Bexar County’s location within the Balcones Escarpment, which can see intense and unpredictable weather. The backstory According to county documents, Bexar County’s past investments in flood control include a 10-year, $500 million flood control program first commenced
These changes are designed as a multipronged approach to improve flood readiness, reduce or elim- inate water rescues at low-water crossings, leverage technology for an improved early warning system, remove structures from floodplain and floodway and create more resilient systems. The approach: • Flood warning system
• Resilient flood infrastructure • Communications and advocacy • Operations and maintenance The conditions
According to SARA officials, its warning system roadmap includes three categories—immediate, short-term and long-term. Immediate: • Restore functionality to all gauges and communications • Update gauge alert thresholds with additional warning levels Short-term:
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